Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Evans of Rainow on 11 January (HL Deb col 98), what assessment they have made of whether it is appropriate to describe COVID-19 vaccinations as “very safe” given that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Blue Guide, says that "advertising which states or implies that a product is 'safe' is unacceptable"; and whether they intend to publish the evidence base that supports the claim that the COVID-19 vaccinations are “very safe.”
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
All vaccines used in the United Kingdom must be authorised by the UK’s independent medicines’ regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Each COVID-19 vaccine is only authorised once it has met robust standards of effectiveness, safety, and quality. As with all vaccines and medicines, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is continuously monitored, and the advice from the MHRA remains that the benefits of vaccination in preventing COVID-19 and serious complications associated with COVID-19 outweigh any currently known side effects in the majority of patients. Information on the characteristics of each vaccine is published by the MHRA on the GOV.UK website. The MHRA’s Blue Guide relates to the advertising and promotion of medicinal products, and in general, debates in Parliament about vaccination are considered to be outside its scope.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, having regard to the relative burden of disease, of the level of investment in the World Health Organization's pandemic agenda, relative to efforts to counter endemic diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK provides the vast majority of funding to WHO as unearmarked flexible funding (£340 million in 2020-2024). Funding helps WHO deliver its General Programme of Work, supporting WHO reform and addressing UK global health priorities. This includes building resilient health systems around the world, especially in the poorest countries, and helping prevent and prepare for pandemics. Additionally, over its lifetime, the UK has been the 3rd largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This funding has contributed towards saving 59 million lives, our recent pledge of £1 billion will continue to contribute to this effort.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are their specific reasons for planning to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius; and what assessment they have made of China’s intentions for the Chagos Islands given their relationship with Mauritius.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK and Mauritius have reiterated that any agreement between our two countries will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in regional and global security. The UK will only enter into an agreement that protects our national interests and those of our partners, including from any malign actors in the Indian Ocean.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value for money, and (2) benefit to the community, of the public funding granted to the charity Sustrans.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department for Transport has previously provided around £75m to Sustrans to maintain and upgrade the National Cycle Network since 2018/19. The Department keeps all funding under close review.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to table a motion to enable the House of Lords to debate the Political Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, which will be discussed by the UN General Assembly on 20 September.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
A Westminster Hall Debate on the three health-focused High-Level Meetings taking place at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week this year was held on 11th July 2023. This provided a helpful opportunity for Members to discuss the UK's aims for the three High-Level Meetings. UN resolutions, including those such as this political declaration, issued as the outcome of UN General Assembly High-Level Meetings, are non-binding recommendations. In keeping with usual practice relating to such resolutions, the Government does not propose to table a motion relating to the declaration.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to use all or any of sections 141(1), 142(2) or 143 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to reverse the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
It was the Mayor's decision to expand the ULEZ to the Greater London boundary. There was no legal requirement for the Mayor to consult Government on his decision. The only powers for Government sit under Section 143 of the GLA Act which are focused on correcting inconsistencies between national transport policy and the Mayor's Transport Strategy. Therefore, these powers cannot be exercised.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Bank of England’s financial forecasting record; and what steps, if any, they plan to take to improve the Bank’s forecasting.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The Bank of England has statutory responsibilities for monetary policy and financial stability, and operational independence from the Government to carry out those responsibilities. The Government remains fully committed to the Bank’s independence.
The Court of the Bank of England has commissioned the Bank’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) to review the Bank’s forecasting, and related processes. It will be led by Dr Ben Bernanke. The review began this summer and is expected to publish its findings in spring 2024.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 April (HL7380), whether they considered whether materials disseminated by public bodies in support of a public health campaign to increase routine vaccination uptake were seen to "promote the prescription, supply, sale or use" of specific medicine or medicines, either intentionally or unintentionally; if so, whether this material fell within the definition under regulation 7 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012; and if not, which legal provision provided an exemption from regulation 7 for public health campaign advertisements.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
It is the view of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that materials disseminated by Government bodies in support of a public health campaign are not caught by the definition of an advertisement for a medicine as given in regulation 7. This is because these materials were not ‘designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or use’ of a specific medicine or medicines. Instead, these materials were disseminated to promote public health by encouraging people to seek appropriate medical intervention, in this case uptake of vaccination against COVID-19.
The MHRA is obliged to consider any complaints made to it about the advertising of medicines. While carrying out its statutory duties, the MHRA will assess each case on its own merits and in light of the available evidence.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 11 April (HL6877), in which legislation it states that advertisements which form part of Government campaigns to encourage routine vaccination uptake “sit outside of the scope of United Kingdom advertising regulations”, and how that is consistent with (1) regulation 280 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, and (2) the definition of the promotion of a medicinal product in the MHRA’s Blue Guide as any thing or any activity "designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or consumption of medicinal products".
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible, on behalf of Health Ministers, for administering the legislation on advertising medicines as set out in Part 14 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, as amended. The relevant definition of an advertisement for a medicine is given in regulation 7. It is the view of the MHRA that materials disseminated by Government bodies in support of a public health campaign are not caught by this definition as they are not ‘designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or use’ of a specific medicine or medicines. Their purpose is rather to promote public health by encouraging people to seek appropriate medical intervention, in this case uptake of vaccination against COVID-19. On the basis of this view, that Government campaigns are outside the definition outlined in regulation 7, regulation 280 does not apply.
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 21 March (HL5868), what steps they will take to uphold the provisions of Chapter 4 of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Blue Guide, which sets out the general rules for advertising medicines to both healthcare workers and the public, and states there is a requirement not to exaggerate the benefits of medicines; and whether the reference in Chapter 4 to section 6.6 “for more information on safety claims” implies that the rules around the use of the word “safe” are applicable to advertising aimed at the general public.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department is committed to following the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Blue book and Advertising Standards Agency guidelines. Careful consideration is given to what guidance is applicable to the campaigns that are run. Government campaigns to encourage routine vaccination uptake are considered as public health interventions and therefore sit outside the scope of United Kingdom advertising regulations, which are interpreted in the MHRA Blue Guide. Whether or not specific guidance applies, all campaign messaging is subject to rigorous clinical and policy approvals, to ensure information is communicated accurately.